1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine for noodles, for example, "wheat vermicelli" or "buckwheat vermicelli".
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, in convenience stores or food stores, a few kinds of raw noodles such as "wheat vermicelli" or "buckwheat vermicelli" are displayed and sold.
However, the raw noodles as described are normally produced in volume in a noodle-making factory, and then transported to stores or the like at which the noodles are sold. It takes at least a few days from the production of the noodles to the appreciation thereof by customers.
Therefore it is necessary to add various preservatives to noodles produced in the noodle-making factory and to simultaneously mange storage temperatures and appreciation periods thereof.
In the past, an automatic noodle-making apparatus as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (Kokai) No. 60-172264 (International Class:A23L1/16) has been developed and put into practical use.
In the noodle-making apparatus of this kind, grain flour is stirred and mixed together with kneading water as a mixture to knead them and produce powdered fish-like noodle materials. The noodle materials are rolled by a rolling roller to form a noodle web. The noodle web is cut by a cutting roll to form noodle lines or strips.
However, the aforementioned conventional noodle-making apparatus is installed in a kitchen of a store and used to cook the prepared noodles for sales. The apparatus is merely aimed at labor-saving in the kitchen.
Further, it is necessary for wrapping long noodle lines with a wrapping film to fold the noodle lines. However, this poses a problem in that when a part of the folded noodle lines is forced out of a sealing portion of the film, it is difficult to heat-seal the films.
Moreover, in the case where the noodle lines prepared by the conventional noodle-making apparatus are immediately cooked, no problem occurs. However, in the case where the noodles lines are stored for reason of work or for the aging of noodles, it is necessary to prevent the noodle lines from being stuck to each other by sprinkling powder on the prepared noodle lines.
Furthermore, as the powdering device incorporated in the conventional noodle-making apparatus, a device is known in which a rotating brush is used to drop powder from holes. However, in this case, it is difficult to clean the brush. The device is unsanitary and complicated in construction. The device is not only costly but tends to be worn. The device is further poor in durability.